10 Ways to Exercise While Watching TV

Have you watched in horror as your backside began to spread to a size that rivaled your couch cushions? Being a couch potato can wreak havoc on your health, but if TV is an addiction for you, you can easily remedy the situation by trying out these 10 ways to exercise while watching TV.

I know, I know—if I were a good weight loss website owner, I’d tell you to turn the TV off and never turn it on again! (And if you watch a lot of TV, you should whittle it down.) But, as someone who was called Miss TV Guide as a pre-teen, I know it’s not that easy. I’m looking forward to a few season premieres these next few weeks myself (House, Survivor, The Office, Big Bang Theory—to name a few).

I don’t watch The Biggest Loser often because it usually conflicts with some show I like whose name escapes me, at the moment. But I know a lot of people do like watching The Biggest Loser—it can be inspirational; just remember they’re being supervised! You need to work the weight off more slowly… (If you’re a Biggest Loser fan, I’ve got a weight loss percentage calculator that calculates the percentage lost as they do on the show.)

So, bearing in mind that I’m covering my butt by telling you to turn the TV off, if you’re not going to listen, at least don’t just sit there…

1.) Fidget while you watch your shows. Science has proven that people who fidget even while sitting down can burn up to 350 more calories per day. If your body’s in motion, it’s burning calories.

2.) Move your exercise equipment in front of the TV. If you have a treadmill stuck in the corner doubling as a clothing hanger, now is the time to dust it off and move it right in front of the TV. You can’t see around it, so you’ll be forced to get on and walk while your favorite shows are on.

See: Top 7 Home Equipment Wish List

3.) Set up a circuit training route in front of your TV. If your living room is large enough, you can set up “stations” that you go to in order to perform cardio routines while your shows are on. You can jump rope, walk in place, or use equipment like dumbbells, exercise balls or steps to get your heart rate up.

See: Circuit Training—The Best Way To Burn Calories

4.) See how many pushups you can do during a show or commercial. If you’re just starting out, then you might start with commercial pushups, but once you become more adept at exercising, see how many you can do during a half hour or hour long show! (Always within reason, of course!)

See: 3 Simple Exercises to Sculpt a Beautiful Upper Body

5.) Do lunges while you watch TV. You can do lunges in place or walking lunges around the room while your shows are on.

6.) Walk in place as you catch up on your favorite show. Walking in place requires no special equipment and it won’t put a strain on your body while you do it. Just march your legs up and down and rest during commercials.

See: Top 10 Effective Ways to Get The Most From Your Cardio Exercise

7.) See how many squats you can do. Squats can be done in place or up against a wall in a sitting position. See how long you can hold it. Can you reach a certain number of squats before the next commercial?

8.) Become a commercial crunch Queen (or King)! Crunches take less effort than a full sit up, but they help tone your abs a lot better. See how many crunches you can do during commercials or if you’re brave – during the length of the show itself!

See: The Top 3 Lower Ab Exercises

9.) Watch exercise shows on TV and move along with them. You don’t have to invest in a lot of pricey exercise videos if your budget is strapped. There are tons of free cable channels that have daily exercise shows on them for all levels – beginner through advanced.

10.) Switch up your exercise routines with your TV watching habits. You don’t watch the same TV show over and over every hour, do you? No – you switch it up between the news, a reality TV show, and maybe a sitcom or police drama. So do the same with your exercise routines, too. Switch it up so that you don’t get bored and are more likely to stick to it for the long haul.

See: A Simple Solution To Exercise Boredom

Exercising while watching TV is something we all ought to do, if we’re going to turn on the tube – even if we’re perfectly thin and happy with our appearance. Being a couch potato is detrimental to our heart health, not just to our physical appearance.

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